Overview
The Medical Social Worker II assists patients and families / caregivers to cope with social / emotional issues and practical arrangements related to illness. Under the general direction of the Social Work Manager / LCSW, the role delivers age-appropriate social work care to patients and their caregivers in accordance with agency policy and procedures and state and federal regulations. The Medical Social Worker II serves as an integral member of the healthcare team, providing assessments, coordination, treatment planning, information and referral to community resources and other social work services to meet the complex needs of patients and families in hospital and clinic settings.
Responsibilities
- Provide psychodynamic interventions, crisis intervention, grief / bereavement counseling, problem solving, stress reduction and developing healthy coping strategies in individual, family and group settings. Provide counseling for disease acceptance and understanding.
- Develop and implement an individual Plan of Treatment to help patients and families cope with or restore social, emotional, financial and environmental factors affected by illness.
- Complete psychosocial assessments and partner with patients to identify needs and develop / implement an individual treatment plan.
- Discuss care options proactively, including Kaiser resources and external community / government resources, to aid short and long-term planning.
- Collaborate with other disciplines to assess, plan and provide services using biopsychosocial information.
- Advocate for self to receive appropriate services within Kaiser and in the community.
- Assist with care planning and discharge planning and manage referrals (written and oral).
- Maintain documentation, records and data collections; complete required documents timely.
- Function as part of the Skilled Nursing Facility Team to ensure appropriate, timely placement of Kaiser members in nursing facilities; liaison between patient and Kaiser for continuity of care.
- Identify appropriate levels of care and facilities for referred patients; obtain placements where applicable.
- Collaborate with internal and external Kaiser and community resources to meet goals / objectives; provide information and referrals as requested.
- Coordinate exchange of information among Kaiser, families, members and skilled nursing facilities; determine application of Kaiser, Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits in patient situations.
- Participate in Utilization Management / Quality Assurance activities; assist in coordinating communication between regional offices, clinics, hospitals and field staff; triage phone calls from members / families.
- Work with referral sources to clarify and complete required clinical and psychosocial information; perform other related duties as necessary.
Education & Experience
Masters in Social Work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.Step I : 0 - 2 years social work experience.Step II : 2 - 4 years social work experience within the last five years.Step III : 4 or more years social work experience within the last ten years.Licensing & Certifications
N / AAdditional Requirements
Demonstrated ability to work on a multidisciplinary team.Solid psychosocial assessment skills.Knowledge of chronic and acute disease and its impact on patient and family functioning.Excellent oral / telephone communication and written documentation skills.Computer-literate; experience with automated clinical information systems preferred.Ability to manage demanding workloads with multiple tasks; able to work independently within a collaborative team.Master complex information regarding benefits and coordination of care.Willingness to work in a Labor Management Partnership environment.Preferred Qualifications
LCSW preferred.At least one year post-MS greatly preferred in a healthcare setting; MSW internship may be considered in lieu of this requirement.Job Details
Seniority level : Entry levelEmployment type : Full-timeJob function : OtherIndustries : Hospitals and Health CareJ-18808-Ljbffr